Variable-speed gearing.



Patented Sept. 5, I899.

w. E. SMPSDN.

VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

(Application filed Dec. 81, 1897.)

(No Model.)

m: noims PEYEHS co Pnurro-umov, wAsumnroa n c NITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

'WILLIAM EDMUND SIMPSON, OF HANDSXVORTH, ENGLAND.

VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,591, dated September 5, 1899.

Application filed December 31, 1897. Serial No. 664,945. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAMEDMUND SIMP- SON, engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 5 WVestminster road, l-Iandsworth, in the county of Stafford, England, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Variable-Speed Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor-driven vehicles, and has reference to an improved variable-speed gearing for. trans mitting the power from the motor to the driving-wheels of the vehicle.

According to my invention I provide a set of rocking levers or the like worked by cams, cranks, or the like from the motor-shaft and connected to reversible clutches, preferably of the roller type, on the driving-axle of the vehicle. The clutches have two sets of rollers, one for either direction of rotation, and means are provided for throwing one or other set into action. The speed of rotation of the driving-wheels relatively to that of the motor-shaft is controlled by varying the throw of the cams or the like or of the levers driven by them, so as to vary the angle of reciprocation of the clutches.

In order that the said invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a side View, partlyin section, and an end view of one form of my improved variable-speed gear. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing the reversible clutches of the said gear and the parts immediately connected therewith. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 00 50, Fig. 1, showing a detail of construction.

The said variable-speed gear comprises in the example illustrated a rocking or balance beam at and a lever-arm b at one side of the motor and worked from the crank-shaft c, a similar arrangement being provided also at the other side of the motor. The beam and lever are pivoted at co and b, respectively, and are connected by an adjustable pin d, passing through blocks or brasses cl, which can be moved to and fro in slots a and 12 provided in the beam at and the lever b, the movement being eifected by any suitable means,

such as by means of links or levers connected with the pin cl. The lever b is worked from the shaft 0 with a constant throw by means of an eccentric c and rod 0 The beam on is worked from the lever through the aforesaid pin 61, and its throw is varied by suitably adjusting the pin. Obviously when the pin 61 is in line with the pivot-pin b of the lever b no movement will be imparted to the beam a, whereas the greater the distance that the pin is moved away from b the greater the throw imparted to the beam 0. will be.

The reversible clutches with which the beams a and levers b cooperate comprise drums e, mounted on ball-bearings e and driven with a reciprocating movement by cords f, attached to the upper ends of the beams a, these cordsextending around the clutch-drums and being connected to them by blocks f. sleeves e, carrying inner disks 6 having The said clutches also comprise wide angular recesses 6 in each of which is situated a pair of rollerse having springs e interposed between them to act as distancepieces.

The reversal of the direction of movement is obtained by throwing one or other of the rollers of each pair into action and simultaneously throwing the other roller out of action. This is effected in the present instance through the medium of projections or fingers g g, interposed between the rollers alternately with the springs. These projections are carried by a drum g, having an inclined slot g in which works a pin h, carried by a second drum it, working on a spline or feather 7L2 in the sleevec. The pin h is moved to and fro by a lever 2', having a pin t" engaging a groove h in an extension of the drum h, and when the pin h is so moved it effects, through the medium of the inclined slot g a partial rotation of the drum g, and so brings one or other of each pair of rollers 6 into engagement with one or the other inclined side of the recess 6 in which the said pair of balls are situated. Inthis way the direction of the motion imparted to the inner disk 6 by the reciprocations of the outer drums 6 can be reversed at will, consequently reversing the direction of mot-ion of the vehicle, whereas if the rollers be caused to occupy an intermediate position,-

as shown, the clutch-dru ms 6 will reciprocate idly and no motion will be imparted to the vehicle.

The driving-wheel axle is formed in two parts jj', on each of which one of the sleeves eis mounted. The adjacent extremities of these sleeves may in some cases be connected by a balance-box arrangement, comprising a pair of crown-wheels k k", inclosed by enlargements 6 formed on the sleeves 6. These enlargements form also a brake-drum, upon which a brake-band Z is arranged to act when the clutches are thrown out of gear, as hereinafter described. The balance-box is completed by a pair of pinions m, interposed between the Wheels is and carried by radial pivot-pins mf, secured in the brake-drum.

The brake-band Z is preferably connected with the lever t for controlling the action of the clutch, the arrangement being such that the brake-band is automatically applied when the lever is in the position in which the clutch is out of action.

The clutch arrangement above described enables the motion to be reversed, but does not in itself efiect the variation in the ratio of the gearing. It will be evident, however, that for this latter purpose all that is necessary is to vary the position of the pins Z) in the slots a so that the stroke of the beams Ct will be varied and the extent of the reciprocation of the clutch-drums 6 will be correspondingly increased or diminished.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving-Wheel axle composed of two parts,reversible clutch mechanisms mounted, respectively, on the two parts of the axle and each having a part constructed to reciprocate in the direction of the length of the axle, rocking beams, devices for varying the throw of the beams, and connections between said beams and parts of the clutch mechanisms, for transmitting the movements of said rock ing beams to the two parts of said axle, substantially as described.

2. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving-wheel axle constructed of two parts geared together at their inner ends, the rocking beams, means for rocking said levers, means for varying the throw of the rocking beams, reversible reciprocating clutch mechanisms concentrically mounted, respectively,

. on the two parts of the axle, and connections between the opposite end portions of said rocking beams and said clutch mechanisms, for transmitting the movements of the levers to the two parts of said axle, substantially as described.

3. In a variable-speed gear, the combina' tion with a driving-Wheel axle, and a crankshaft, of a rocking beam having one of its arms slotted, a slotted lever having one extremity pivoted to a fixed point and its opposite extremity connected with the crank-shaft, an adjustable block in the slot in the rocking beam, an adjustable block in the slot in the lever, a pin connecting said blocks, a reversible reciprocating clutch mounted on and concentric with the driving-wheel axle, and connections between the opposite ends of said rocking beam and said clutch, for transmitting the movement of the lever to the drivingwheel axle, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

4. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a rocking beam, means for varying the throw of said beam, a reversible reciprocating clutch-drum, a cord fixed to said drum and having its ends respectively attached to the ends of the rocking beam, notched disks inside said drum, friction-rollers arranged in pairs, one on either side of each notch, springs between the rollers belonging to each notch, and means for throwing one or other of the rollers of each pair into and out of action, substantially as described.

5. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a rocking beam having one of its arms slotted, a slotted lever having its end at one extremity pivoted to a fixed point and its end at the opposite extremity connected with the crank-shaft, an adjustable block in the slot in the rocking beam, an adjustableiblock in the slot in the lever, a pin connecting said blocks, a reciprocating clutch-drum, a cord fixed to said clutch-drum and having its ends respectively attached to the ends of the rocking beam, a notched disk inside said drum, rollers arranged one pair in each notch, projections on a drum acting on said rollers to throw one or other of them into or out of action, an inclined slot in the latter drum, a pin engaging in said inclined slot, another drum carrying said pin, a projection on the latter drum having a groove therein, and a lever having a pin engaging in said groove for the purpose of shifting said drum and pin relatively to the drum having the inclined slot, substantially as described.

6. In a variable-speed gear, the combination of a driving-wheel shaft made in two parts, a pair of rocking beams each having one of its arms slotted, a corresponding pair of slotted levers each having its end at one extremity pivoted to a fixed point and its end at the opposite extremity connected with the crankshaft, an adjustable block in each of the rocking-beam slots, an adjustable block in each of the lever-slots, pins respectively conn'ecting the rocking-beam blocks with the leverblocks, a reciprocating clutch-drum mounted on each part of the driving-wheel shaft, a cord fixed to each of said clutch-drums and having its ends respectively attached to the ends of one of the rocking beams, a notched disk inside each of said drums, a pair of rollers arranged in each of said notches, a pair of drums each having a projection and operating in conjunction with a clutch-drum to throw one or other of the rollers of each pair into or out of action, an inclined slot in each of the latter drums, a pin engaging in each of said slots, another pair of drums respectively carrying said pins, a grooved projecwhen the said clutches are thrown out of action on each of the latter drums, levers havtion, substantially as described for the puring pins engaging in said grooves for the purpose specified. pose of shifting said drums and their pins In testimony whereof I have hereunto set relatively to the drums having the inclined my hand this 25th day of June, 1897 slots, a balance-box connecting the two parts of the driving-wheel shaft and forming a WILLIAM EDMUND SIMPSON brake-drum, a brake-belt encircling said Witnesses: drum, and a lever for reversing the clutches ARTHUR A. BERGIN, 10 and simultaneously applying the brake-belt JOSEPH LAKE. 

